Melissa McCarthy Was Once A Drag Queen Inspired By RuPaul And Lady Bunny

National treasure Melissa McCarthy is on the cover of Rolling Stone‘s summer double issue, hitting newsstands on Friday, and inside, she discusses the not-so-humble roots of her blockbuster career: a tuck and a dream:

When McCarthy moved to New York at age 20, her roommate, Brian Atwood, a friend from home who would go on to become a popular shoe designer, suggested she try stand-up. “I really dressed to rival a drag queen, for sure,” she recalls. (“It was the time of Lady Miss Kier, RuPaul and Lady Bunny,” says Atwood.) “I had a gold lamé swing coat on, a huge wig, big eyelashes,” McCarthy recalls. “I talked about being incredibly wealthy and beautiful and living extravagantly.”

That sounds about right. McCarthy is on the promotional bandwagon for her upcoming comedy, Tammy, with Oscar-winner and perennial brick house Susan Sarandon, out July 2. Check out the hilarious trailer below: